Betty on The News

Betty on The News: Top Stories

-The Betty Editors

1. “King of Pop” legend, Michael Jackson, is dead at the age of 50. After suffering from cardiac arrest in his Los Angeles home, he was taken to the hospital where he arrived in a deep coma. He was pronounced dead this afternoon. We’re in shock.

2. After a life in the limelight – from bathing suit poster girl to Charlie’s Angel; from to reality star to cancer-stricken documentary subject – Farrah Fawcett has passed away. According to reports, her family rushed to her side last night to say goodbye. Farrah, 62, lost her battle with cancer early this afternoon.

Farrah Fawcett was much more than just a sex symbol – though her legacy is certainly going to always focus on her iconic, feathered blond hair, her beauty, and the way she looked in that red bathing suit. She was a talented actress, showing depth and range in roles like her vengeful battered woman in The Burning Bed (1984) and the wife of Robert Duvall’s cheating minister in The Apostle (1997).

Her longtime partner Ryan O’Neal recently revealed that after all this time the two would be getting married, but that was not to be. They have a son together, Redmond O’Neil, who has had his own turn in the tabloids thanks to the drug problem that landed him in the L.A. Country jail in April. He learned of his mother’s death while in prison today; a prison chaplain delivered the news. Officials say he will be allowed to attend his mother’s funeral.

Through it all, Farrah seemed to maintain her sense of humor and an awareness of the importance of her sex appeal. She famously quipped, about Charlie’s Angels, “When the show was number three, I figured it was our acting. When it got to be number one, I decided it could only be because none of us wears a bra.”

Our hearts go out to her loved ones. We’ll feather and spray our hair today in spirit, Farrah. You may be gone, but you’ll never be forgotten.

3. We’ve already seen more than we want of Danielle Staub of Real Housewives of New Jersey fame, so we’re thanking our lucky stars (of the trashy reality variety) that a judge banned her slimy ex boyfriend, Stephen Zalewski, from releasing a sex tape of her. Remember him? The short, stout, balding, troll, all of 27 years old to her 46? He told Star magazine of his decision to sell pictures of her, “She cost me so much money, why shouldn’t I make a few dollars?”

Danielle is suing him for defamation, invasion of privacy and infliction of emotional distress. “This is about my kids,” Staub said. “I’m a big girl. Do what you want to me. But you broke bread with my children. Don’t do this to me. No adult should ever do this to a child.” We’re thinking a sex tape kind of pales in comparison to all the other stuff from her past that her children have been exposed to since she CHOSE to go on a national reality show with a prior rap sheet including some little things like prostitution, drug charges and kidnapping. But even she pales in comparison to his sleaziness. (Yahoo! News)

4. How safe is the air you breathe? That depends largely on where you are breathing it, according to recent data from the EPA that names 600 U.S. neighborhoods – home to some 285 million people – with elevated cancer risks. The average risk of cancer in the U.S. is 36 in 1 million, but in these neighborhoods the risk is raised to more than 100 in 1 million. At the top of the list of cities with the highest risk were Los Angeles, Calif., and Madison County, Ill. (1,200 in 1 million and 1,100 in 1 million respectively). Neighborhoods in Coconino County, Ariz., and Lyon County, Nev., had the lowest rates. Vehicle emissions account for 30 percent of the risk. To see where your neighborhood ranks check out the map here then think about riding your bike, walking and carpooling more often.

5. After a week of bloggers and news reporters alike questioning the whereabouts of one Mr. Mark Sanford, the South Carolina Governor finally came clean and admitted to being involved in a long-term affair with a woman from Argentina – which is where he had been kicking it for the past several days. Yep, that little tale of him hiking along the Appalachian Trail turned out to be Grade-A bologna.

At a press conference today Sanford stated that he and the woman in question were “dear” friends for eight years until the relationship blossomed into something more, just over a year ago. Since then he has seen her three times, and his wife has be in the know for roughly five months. “I’ve let down a lot of people, that’s the bottom line,” the S.C. bigwig was quick to add after saying that he plans to resign as chairman of the Republican Governors Association. Gee, thanks for clearing that up! We have so much more sympathy now. (Huffington Post)

6. If you needed one more reason to keep away from this greasy junk food supplier, we’ve got you covered. Burger King’s family-friendly reputation is about to take a major nosedive thanks to their new ad for the Super Seven Incher sandwich. A blonde woman, who looks a cross between a Barbie and a blow-up doll, stares in awe at the beefy burger as it creeps towards her gaping lipstick-adorned mouth just above a slogan that reads “it’ll blow your mind away.” Sure sex sells, but is $6.25 really worth alienating your loyal customers? (Newser.com)

0 thoughts on “Betty on The News: Michael Jackson is dead, Farrah Fawcett passes and more”

And I really hope Mark Sanford’s wife doesn’t “look the other way” – I heard on the news this morning she was willing to forget the whole thing. It’s been going on for over a year? And she’s been in the know. Come on girl.

And ew Burger King, I know you’re not at the top of the class rank, but seriously?

At least Danielle has made sure the tape can’t be seen, but as for that SC Governor, did he really think he could get away with that? And how many don’t cry for me Argentina jokes do you think people are going to make?

– omg, no one wanted to see Danielle Staub’s sex tape! though, I think deep down in her subconscious, she was hoping that the ex would leak the tape. And then she could have her own tv show like Kim Kardashian haha (so long Real Housewives)